1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a system and method for positioning a device at a desired target location within a body canal of a patient. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for confirming proper placement of an end of feeding tube in the jejunum of a patient.
2. Background Information
Patients for whom normal ingestion of food becomes difficult or impossible may require placement of a feeding tube to assist in providing their nutritional needs. For some individuals, such as comatose patients, stroke victims, or those with a compromised gastrointestinal tract, this may require placement of a tube that is introduced percutaneously into the stomach for delivery of nutritional products directly into the stomach. Such tubes for delivery of nutritional products into the stomach are generally referred to as gastrostomy tubes, or “G”-tubes.
In some situations, feeding a patient through a G-tube can be problematic. Such situations include, among others, the presence of certain congenital abnormalities in the patient, as well as the possibility of severe gastric reflux and a high aspiration risk. In other situations, nutritional targets may not be attained at a satisfactory rate through G-tube feeding. In such patients, feeding may often be accomplished by inserting a feeding tube, sometimes referred to as a jejunostomy tube, or a “J”-tube, directly into the jejunum (the middle section of the small intestines) of the patient. The J-tube bypasses the stomach, thereby decreasing the risk of gastric reflux and aspiration. In addition, the J-tube often provides better success in reaching nutritional targets than a G-tube, and allows the targets to be reached more rapidly.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, there are some difficulties associated with the use of jejunostomy tubes. For example, due to the generally offset position of the jejunum relative to the stomach, it is often difficult to properly direct the distal end of a J-tube into the jejunum. J-tubes are typically very flexible, which contributes to the difficulty in directing the tubes to the desired area. In addition, once positioned, J-tubes are subject to dislodgement.
In view of the difficulties encountered in placing such tubes in the jejunum, radiographic imaging techniques, e.g., x-ray, are often utilized to verify proper placement of such tubes prior to transmission of food products therethrough. As health care workers must transport the patient to the radiology facility to obtain the x-ray, this technique increases the cost and complexity of the feeding tube placement. In addition, the use of x-ray exposes the patient to radiation. If the x-ray indicates that insufficient placement was achieved, then the verification process must be repeated following another attempt at placement. This adds still more cost and complexity to the procedure, and further increases the amount of radiation to which the patient is exposed.
It would be desirable to provide a system and method for placement of a feeding tube in the jejunum of the patient, in which proper placement of the feeding tube may be verified by less complex and intrusive means when compared to techniques previously carried out in the art.